Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-10-29

| some one more than the mere unit in the
crowd. The man who claims the hand of
wealth and beauty should first give some
credentials of his future success"
Mr. Templeton delivered himself of this
opinion in an ordinary, colloquial man
ner, but it was evident he spoke with some
personal feeling, as his daughter had
spoken on the same subject before him.
Walter, who had in silence followed the
conversation with quickened interest, was
quite unneryed by Mr.. Templeton's inter
position. lie thought that he must be
deadly pale, he felt so sick at heart. This
was the answer OF the cold, matter-of-fact
man Of the world to the generous and fer
vent sentiments of the daughter.
Mr.. Iempleton's summing-up meeting
with general occurrence, the conversation
soon drltted into other channels. Walter
was again thrown into the agonies of doubt
and despair. He sat silent and moody.
much TO the surprise Of his acquaintance
at the table, asking to himself whether
after all these men were not right and May
mistaken. Should he not do something to
show himself worthy of her before binding
her to him by the bonds of marriage? He.
a briefless barrister, without settled in
come for a week, had no business TO ask
Mr.. Templeton to give his daughter into
his keeping. He ought to give proof of his
worthiness Of the trust. These arguments
would doubtless have weighed little with
him were it not for the knowledge which
! Mr.. Templeton's words forced upon him,
that until he made better start on the
road to success he could not marry May
with the consent of her father
| l., /
having breathed a word to the stockbroker
of his love for May.
There ensued during the next fortnight
a conflict in his mind between the dictates
of love and what he conceived to be the
dictates of duty. He resolved to think of
marriage with May as plize which must
be won by Homeric effort and Spartan sac
ritice. He attended the Courts more reg
ularly, and penetrated the mysteries of
civil law more assiduously than ever.
Mr. Brazeniace, the young leader of forty
who had made name in a cause celebre two
years ago. and was now overloaded with
briefs, sat in Court in a state of consider.
cradle anxiety. He was engaged for the
defense in q certain case, and he was anx-
ious to know when it was likely to be
reached, as he had a case on his hands in
another Court. 1t was therefore with much
satisfaction that he heard the counsel ad-
dressing the Court enlarge the area of his
case. When the said counsel came to
| enumerate the witnesses he intended call
ing Mr.. Beazanface's peace Of mind was
assured.
You might hold my brief till return,
Digby," he whispered. There are some
points in it which may interest you. I
shall be back before lunch"
Walter prepared himself for studying
the brief and felt grateful to Mr.. Brazen-
face for giving him the opportunity of do
ing so. He made the successful pleader's
acquaintance in this Court, and had more
than once been assisted by his advice.
His eyes had only just lighted on the
first page when he stopped short in sur
prise by reading the name of Richard
Templeton. He read on with greater in
| terest. Gradually he came to understand
that the case arose out of stock exchange
transaction, in which Mr.. Templeton, act
ing as broker for a country Squire, was al
| legged to have wrongfully detained certain
moneys. Walter was fairly well versed in
the matter of stocks and shares, having at
| VilC lliilC lOphINi W lIlCiIl tlS lllG GdSltSl
means of making the fortune with which
| to earn fame. He could easily see that
| the charge, though serious one, arose out
Of the blunder of the Squires and could
| be easily rebutted. He was thinking of
the easy victory Mr.. Brazenface would
get, of the crushing way in which he
would cross-eXamine, and the "Sporus and
| butterfly" character of his reply, when he
was startled to hear a clarion voice pro-
nounce "Lumpkin versus Templeton I"
Counsel had Just concluded a confab re-
sulting in an abrupt termination to the
case which Mr.. Brazenlace had seen COM
menced with such complacency.
Walter anxiously looked round the
Court for the missing counsel. He was
nowhere to be seen. The situation was an
awkward one. Owing to the little i'm
portance attached to the case only Mr..
Brazenface had been engaged for the de-
Tense, and he was not here Walter cast
another hurried glance round the Court.
and this time saw, not Mr.. Blazenface, but
| Mr.. Templeton himself.
| Counsel for the plaintiff rose, made a
clever speech, putting his case in the way
so familiar to frequenters of law Courts
which could not fail to convince any in
telligent man Of the justice of his cause, if
another counsel did not have his way in
reply. The plaintiff then appeared in the
witness-box, and in a very nervous state
managed to utter the sentences suggested
to him by his advocate, who next handed
to the Judge a certain document of i'm
portance in the case. While the Judge
and jury were examining it Walter beck
oned to Mr. Templeton.
Mr.. Templeton proceeded from the body
of the Court, where he had placidly sur
veyed the proceedings in happy ignorance
Of the absence of his counsel to the place
where the learned gentleman was sitting
Il regret to say, Mr.. Templeton, that
| Mr.. Brazenface has not yet returned to the
! Court, which he left in the belief that
| your case was not coming on yet. No
doubt he viii be here directly" whispered
| Walter
Mr. Templeton looked somewhat alarmed.
| As a stockbroker with large dealings he
had more than once, as plaintiff or defend
| ant, figured in a Court of justice, but his
knowledge of legal forms and procedure
being as limited as that of laymen usually
| is, did not know what this might portend.
| trust no serious consequences will en-
sue 1t is of vital Importance that moth
ing prejudicial to my honor or integrity
should take place here, through there being
no one to appear in my behalf; getting
abroad, as it would, on the Stock Exchange
this afternoon" he exclaimed. a hope,
Mr. Digby, you will be equal to any
emergency"
Walter was proceeding to assure him
that there was no cause for alarm when he
was thunderstruck to hear the foreman of
the jury rise and intimate that the Jury
were in that frame of mind that they did
not desire to trouble the defense, and that
in a few minutes their verdict would be
forthcoming.
When the Judge, who was dyspeptic
this morning and anxious for stimulant
and was, moreover, rather short-sighted
and did not know whether defendant was
represented or not, seemed to acquiesce
serenely in this arrangement, the concern
on Mr., Templeton's face deepened into the
gravest alarm.
Pray, Mr. Digby, cannot you do some
thing? If these twelve idiots give YER
diet against me, you cannot imagine the
almost instantaneous effect it will produce
upon my credit in the city"
| Walter needed no further bidding to step
| into tho hraacb in dafapCa of M,,,jc f+l -